Panorama of the Week: The World’s Loneliest UNESCO Site
Filed Under: Have you ever wondered which UNESCO World Heritage site is the least visited?
When we heard a rumor calling out the Jesuit ruins in the towns of Trinidad and Jesus in Paraguay as the least appreciated UNESCO World Heritage site, we figured they were worth a visit.
Open the panorama below in fullscreen (tilt up) and then consider the back-story of a community founded on the ideals of education, sustainable agriculture and integration — almost 300 years ago.
Panorama: The Jesuit Ruins in Trinidad, Paraguay
For best panorama viewing results, press fullscreen (four arrows) and navigate around with your mouse.
The Jesuit communities of Trinidad and Jesus attempted to set an example. The European Jesuits learned Guarani, the local language, and they worked with the local indigenous people with a vision of creating a community focused on education and cooperation. Contrast this to the competing tradition of their contemporaries: keeping the local indigenous Guarani people as slaves.
Unsurprisingly, the Jesuit approach to the Guarani didn’t sit so well with colonialists and settlers whose businesses depended upon slave labor. Eventually, the Spanish government expelled the Jesuits in 1767.
All that remains of their progressive slice of history are the brick skeletons of settlements, churches and courtyards strewn across a green field in the middle of nowhere in Paraguay.
The idealists in us hope that the ideas of education, sustainability and community would be more accepted and successful today.
Travel articles from Paraguay
Travel Photo Essays from Paraguay
September 26th, 2010 at 5:36 pm
Ahhh, beautiful panorama! Did ou do it yourself? Did you use wide-angle/fisheye lens?
September 26th, 2010 at 8:45 pm
Unbelievable you had the whole place to yourself!!!!!!! Gorgeous!
September 26th, 2010 at 10:14 pm
So, was there actually anyone else there? Sure looks like it is not that visited.
September 27th, 2010 at 1:59 am
What a stark and lonely picture! I have a lot of empathy for the Jesuits – their hearts were in the right place.
As a side note, what kind of vaccinations did you need to visit Paraguay? I have a friend who is taking a trip there this fall.
September 27th, 2010 at 5:05 am
@Slava: Yes, we created the panorama ourselves. If you click on this link, you’ll see other panoramas we’ve done from other parts of the world: http://www.uncorneredmarket.com/category/photography/panorama/
We use a fisheye lens (8mm) and stitch together the 4-5 photos using a type of special software. Glad you enjoy it!
@Andi & Kyle: I think a family showed up before we left, but that was it. It was a bit sad to see so few people. Given our interaction with the ticket office, it doesn’t seem like a lot of travelers make it this way.
@Jennifer: This part of southern Paraguay and northern Argentina used to have many Jesuit missions like this. Very sad to think that they were driven out because of their mission.
As for vaccinations, I’d recommend Hepatitis A & B, tetanus (if booster is needed), and typhoid. These are the standard vaccinnations for traveling in tropical or developing countries so if she’s done other travel in Latin America or Asia, she’s probably already covered. We did not take any malaria medication when in Paraguay, but this may also be recommended depending upon the time of year she’s traveling and where she’s going.
September 27th, 2010 at 4:55 pm
Thanks Dan and Audrey, my friend is still deciding on vaccinations. I was surprised yellow fever isn’t a problem as I know that in some tropical countries the mosquitos carry it.
September 27th, 2010 at 5:08 pm
@Jennifer: Good question about yellow fever. The vaccination is required for Bolivia and when we were in Argentina there were reports of outbreaks in the northern areas. To be on the safe side, your friend should get the vaccination. But, if she’s going to be in more urban areas she’ll likely be fine without it. We didn’t have any medical problems during our visit to Paraguay.
September 28th, 2010 at 5:33 am
Great pano! I love the details in the brickwork. What a shame it’s so unvisited.. The emptiness reminds me of my visit to Tantallon Castle in Scotland in the winter. I literally had it to myself. Tantallon was definitely on the minor end of Scottish ruins, though.
September 28th, 2010 at 11:28 am
Nice. I missed out on this place when I went to South America. Didn’t have time for everything.
September 28th, 2010 at 1:21 pm
@Mark: Good eye – the brickwork was impressive. What you can’t see in this panorama is the layout of the community – it was strategically and logically planned for agriculture and community involvement. Quite impressive.
@Jenny: It is impossible to hit everywhere, especially in such a huge continent as South America. Much better to choose a few things than to go crazy running around. Not many people make it to Paraguay, so you won’t find many other travelers at any sight there.
March 29th, 2011 at 10:36 pm
Was not familiar with this site in Paraguay so appreciate your excellent panoramic photograph and the post. A shame that Paraguay does not market this Unesco recognized destination more as it looks beautiful and probably surrounded by lovely nature, farmland and interesting communities where Guarani quite likely is still a common language. Seems to have much to offer to the traveler who makes it there! Thank you for sharing.
April 3rd, 2011 at 3:02 am
@GCG: Thanks for the thoughtful comment. I think Paraguay is really at the very beginning stages of tourism promotion. As a result, Trinidad and Jesus (and their Jesuit history) go relatively untouched and not well understood. To me, the history underlying those ruins is fascinating and indicative of colonial development in Paraguay and in general South America.
If you’d like to go a bit off the beaten path, then Paraguay is definitely a place to do it.